Pluto, we hardly knew ye

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by HatterDon, Aug 24, 2006.

  1. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Location:
    Peoples Republic of South Texas
    Well, a bunch of scientists got together today and voted Pluto off the Solar System. Rather, they narrowly defined the constituent parts of a planet such that Pluto no longer qualifies.

    So we're down to 8 planets now. Devalued again.

    I blame the Clintons! :big grin:
     
    #1
    HatterDon, Aug 24, 2006
  2. rumstove

    rumstove New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2005
    Location:
    Eau Claire, WI
    crap, i was planning to move there...

    seriously, is this real? scientists now have the power to meet up at a Starbucks or something and vote a planet out of the Solar System?
     
    #2
    rumstove, Aug 25, 2006
  3. martin

    martin New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2005
    Relegation is always painful. But the Plutonians still love their club and are steeling themselves for a tough promotion battle.
     
    #3
    martin, Aug 25, 2006
  4. Jux

    Jux New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2005
    Re: RE: Pluto, we hardly knew ye

    Brilliant!
     
    #4
    Jux, Aug 25, 2006
  5. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Location:
    Peoples Republic of South Texas
    Well, Prague, actually, which is like Starbucks without the banana nut muffins.
     
    #5
    HatterDon, Aug 25, 2006
  6. dcheather

    dcheather Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2005
    Interesting Developments.

    Apparently, Pluto is pulling an AC Milan with its relegation and will now sue for its promotion into the Milky Way planetary league.
     
    #6
    dcheather, Aug 25, 2006
  7. VonBilly

    VonBilly New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2005
    Under the new rules, two of the three objects that came tantalizingly close to planethood will join Pluto as dwarfs: the asteroid Ceres, which was a planet in the 1800s before it got demoted, and 2003 UB313, an icy object slightly larger than Pluto whose discoverer, Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology, has nicknamed “Xena.” The third object, Pluto's largest moon, Charon, isn't in line for any special designation.

    Brown, whose Xena find rekindled calls for Pluto's demise because it showed it isn't nearly as unique as it once seemed, waxed philosophical.

    “Eight is enough,” he said, jokingly adding: “I may go down in history as the guy who killed Pluto.” (i wonder if he will get a yellow card fot that one :wink: )

    Demoting the icy orb named for the Roman god of the underworld isn't personal — it's just business — said Jack Horkheimer, director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of the PBS show “Star Gazer.”

    “It's like an amicable divorce,” he said. “The legal status has changed but the person really hasn't. It's just single again.”

    from Yahoo Tech
     
    #7
    VonBilly, Aug 25, 2006

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